But it Did
by Seylin
Summary: Drabble. Jacob comforts Leah after Seth is killed by a nomad vampire attack.


**Fandom**: Twilight

**Pairing**: None, though if you want to see it Jacob/Leah

**Prompt**: Jacob comforts Leah after Seth is killed by a nomad vampire attack

**Words**: 812

**For**: ATotallyRationalFearOfKatanas 

But It Did

_It shouldn't have happened. _

_But it did. _

Jacob had never realized how much of a space Seth filled until he was gone. Two months… two slow, agonizing months that had seemed to go by much too quickly when he really thought about it. Two months… that was how long it had been since Seth Clearwater had died.

_It shouldn't have happened. _

_But it did. _

_It was a stupid accident. _

_One that shouldn't have happened. _

Seth was young, much too young to be on patrol by himself, no matter how much he tried to keep up with the older members of the pack. It had been a lapse in Sam's judgment that night. They had all tried to not hold it against Sam, he already felt horrible but it was hard, especially for Leah. Seth had lost his life because of that lapse of judgment.

Seth had been in the northern most border of their tribal land when he had run across a nomad vampire, attracted by the Cullen's scents no doubt. The youngest wolf had done what they were always supposed to do when coming across a leech, he had howled for back up. The nomad had not waited to attack. By the time they had gotten there… it was too late. Seth had been caught, hurt badly and then bitten. There had been nothing they could do.

_It shouldn't have happened. _

_But it did. _

_It was a stupid accident. _

_One that shouldn't have happened. _

_Jacob wished he could take it all back. _

Jacob sighed as he walked toward the beach with his hands in the pockets of his shorts. He needed to stop thinking about it… he needed to think about the happy times he had had with Seth. He smiled a little, there were plenty of those. Seth was never one to be sad, or let anyone else around him be for that matter.

Up ahead he saw Leah leave the Clearwater house and head down to the beach. She was upset; he could see that much but that had become the norm recently. "Hey Leah! Wait up!"

The female shifter paused at his beckon and waited until he had caught up. "Hey Jacob."

"Hey… how you holding up?" Leah shot Jacob a glare. "Okay stupid question. Where you headed?"

"First beach… well, Seth's memorial plaque really." Jacob nodded; Leah had gone there a lot in the last two months. It had been a gift to the family from the whole reservation. Seth had loved the meetings held and stories told on First Beach so they had placed the plaque there.

"Mind if I join you?"

"It's a free country," Leah replied.

They walked down to the beach in silence. Leah picked some wild flowers on the way so when they got to the memorial plaque she would have something to leave. They boy just stared at the plaque once they got there; the wind was getting up, promising a storm later. When Leah stepped forward to lay her flowers down Jacob stayed where he was. Leah needed a moment; he had seen the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Jacob finally cleared his throat. "I never thought I would be doing this…"

"I never wanted to do this," Leah muttered, her head bowed.

Now Jacob took the couple of steps that separated them and rested a hand on Leah's shoulder. "None of us wanted this, but Seth wouldn't want us mourning him this way… lingering on what shouldn't have happened but did."

"He was only fifteen Jacob!" Leah cried. She hated herself for crying in front of Jacob but she couldn't stop it.

"And he was happy," Jacob said quietly. "Seth lived life to the fullest, he had no regrets."

Leah sobbed before she stood and threw her arms around Jacob. "It's not fair! It's not!"

Jacob wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she cried. "It's not," he whispered in agreement. He looked up at the sky wishing Seth could tell him how to make Leah feel better, no one knew Leah better than her brother.

_It shouldn't have happened. _

_But it did. _

_It was a stupid accident. _

_One that shouldn't have happened. _

_Jacob wished he could take it all back. _

_Everything's going to be okay…_

Jacob blinked. Where had that come from? The rest he had been repeating to himself over and over, slowly adding more to it as the two months since Seth's death passed. But that last part… that was new. Jacob stroked Leah's hair as he looked around. It had almost sounded like Seth…

A small smile worked its way to his lips. '_Will it_?' He thought.

_Promise. It happened. But everything's going to be okay. Just watch. _

Jacob sighed and his grip on Leah tightened. This was all he could do for now but he trusted Seth. '_Alright kiddo, I'll watch_.'


End file.
